The present invention relates to a probe card transfer mechanism for use in an exchange of a probe card of a probe apparatus with another, and more specifically, to a simple probe card transfer mechanism which has a low cost.
In general, a probe apparatus has a load chamber and a probe chamber. In the load chamber, an object to be tested (e.g., a semiconductor wafer) is pre-aligned while being conveyed. In the probe chamber, an electric characteristic of the object transferred from the load chamber is tested. The load chamber has an object transfer mechanism and a pre-alignment mechanism.
The object is pre-aligned while being conveyed in the load chamber, and then transferred to the probe chamber.
The probe chamber has a chuck top on which the object is to be placed, an alignment mechanism, and a probe card. When the chuck top is loaded with the wafer, it is moved in directions X, Y, Z and xcex8, and aligned with the probe card. After the alignment, the chuck top is moved up such that a probe needle of the probe card can be accurately brought into electrical contact with a measurement electrode of the object on the chuck. The object is connected to a tester via the probe needle, so that the electrical characteristic thereof can be tested.
It is necessary to exchange a probe card with another one in accordance with the type of object to be tested. The probe cards are exchanged by a probe card exchanging apparatus. For example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKOKU Publication No. 5-67060 and Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 3-220472 propose a full-automatic exchanging apparatus for fully automatically exchanging probe cards.
Recently, as semiconductor wafers (one of the objects to be tested) are becoming wider in diameter and highly integrated, the construction cost of factories for manufacturing semiconductors has increased remarkably. Under the circumstances, reduction in cost of semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses has been required. The probe apparatus is not an exception. Therefore, cost reduction of the probe apparatus has been promoted by simplifying the structure and saving space, as well as in the case of the other semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses. From this viewpoint, the fully automatic exchanging apparatus requires a storage section for storing a plurality of probe cards together and a transfer mechanism for transferring the storage section to the chuck top. For this reason, since the exchanging apparatus of this type has a complicated mechanism and requires space for the purpose of exchange only, it tends to be expensive. The applicant of the present invention proposed a semi-automatic exchanging apparatus in, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 8-139141. The exchanging apparatus of this type had a simple mechanism, promoted space saving and realized cost reduction.
In the probe card exchanging apparatus proposed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 8-139141, since the probe card storage section can be omitted, space can be saved and the cost can be reduced as compared to the fully automatic exchanging apparatus. However, the exchanging apparatus proposed in the above publication requires a probe card transfer mechanism. The probe card transfer mechanism uses a driving mechanism including a motor and an actuator to drive an arm for transferring a probe card placed thereon. The driving mechanism is complicated and expensive. This is a problem of the above probe card exchanging apparatus.
The present invention was made to solve the problem described above.
An object of the present invention is to provide a probe card transfer mechanism in which extra driving mechanisms, essentially unnecessary for a probe apparatus, are reduced to a minimum, so that the mechanism and structure can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a probe card transfer mechanism comprising:
a probe card attachment mechanism, provided in a probe apparatus main body, for detachably holding a probe card having a plurality of probe needles and a card holder;
a chuck top, provided in the probe apparatus main body and movable in directions X, Y, Z and xcex8, the chuck top having a function of bringing an object to be tested into contact with the probe needles of the probe card in a state where the object is mounted thereon, and a function of transferring the probe card to and from the probe card attachment mechanism in a state where the probe card is mounted thereon;
a probe card supporting member, attached to a side surface of the chuck top, for detachably supporting the probe card separated from the chuck top, so that the probe needles may not be in contact with a main surface of the chuck top; and
a passing and receiving mechanism for passing or receiving the probe card between the probe card supporting member and outside of the probe apparatus main body.
In the probe card transfer mechanism, it is preferable that the passing and receiving mechanism include an adapter for detachably holding the probe card.
In the probe card transfer mechanism, it is preferable that the passing and receiving mechanism further include a transfer tray for detachably holding the adapter holding the probe card, and a guide mechanism for guiding the transfer tray from outside of the probe apparatus main body to inside thereof.
In the probe card transfer mechanism, it is preferable that the transfer tray include an adapter holding section having a U-shaped opening in its distal end portion, and that the chuck top be lifted up through the U-shaped opening of the adapter holding section, so that the adapter is received by the probe card supporting member attached to the chuck top from the adapter holding section.
In the probe card transfer mechanism, it is preferable that the guide mechanism be rotatably attached to the probe apparatus main body so as to be set in a horizontal state and a vertical state.
In the probe card transfer mechanism, it is preferable that the probe card supporting member include a suction mechanism for holding the adapter by means of suction force.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a probe card transfer mechanism comprising:
an insert ring, provided in a probe apparatus main body, for detachably holding a probe card having a plurality of probe needles;
an adapter for detachably holding the probe card;
a chuck top, on which a semiconductor wafer is to be mounted, the chuck top being movable in directions X, Y, Z and xcex8 in the probe apparatus main body and having a function of bringing the semiconductor wafer into contact with the probe needles of the probe card and a function of transferring the probe card between the insert ring and the transfer tray;
a probe card supporting member, attached to a side surface of the chuck top, for detachably supporting the adapter holding the probe card, so that the probe needles may not be in contact with a main surface of the chuck top; and
a passing and receiving mechanism for passing or receiving the adapter between the probe card supporting member and outside of the probe apparatus main body, the passing and receiving mechanism comprising:
a transfer tray for detachably holding the adapter holding the probe card;
an arm attached to the probe apparatus main body; and
a guide rail, fixed to the arm, for guiding movement of the transfer tray from outside of the probe apparatus main body to inside thereof.
In the probe card transfer mechanism, it is preferable that the arm be pivotally attached to the probe apparatus main body so as to be set in a horizontal state and a vertical state.
In the probe card transfer mechanism, it is preferable that the transfer tray have a sensor for detecting existence of the adapter.
In the probe card transfer mechanism, it is preferable that the probe card supporting member have a suction mechanism for holding the adapter by means of suction force.
In the probe card transfer mechanism, it is preferable that the probe card supporting member have a sensor for detecting existence of the probe card.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.